Pin designers have very little control over the manufacturing process of their pins, and it is only until they received them that they can determine how to sell them. Because these items are hand crafted and produced en masse by manufacturers abroad, the end product may not always be perfect. Therefore the Pin Grading System is a scale used by pin makers as a quality standard to determine their sellability.
The system is generally divided into three: Class A/Standard Grade, Class B, and Class B/Seconds and the definition of each may differ from one pin maker to another. The following are mine which I use to grade my own pins.
**I reserve the right to be more lenient with the grading system depending on the overall quality of the batch.**
[ CLASS A / Standard Grade ]
Not all Class A pins are perfect, but pins in this category are as good as they can get: all areas are filled properly enamel, the metal plating is smooth, and the colors are comparable to the Pantone swatch give or take a marginal step up or down a shade which is pretty common in pin manufacturing. There may be very slight flaws that are not easily noticeable at first glance or if held out at arm's length, some of which are, but not limited to:
- light scratches/nicks/scuffing/pin pricks on the metal or enamel
- very minimal enamel under fill
- one or two small areas that may have been miscolored but does not affect the design as a whole
- plating burns and other imperfections on the front and/or sides of the pin
- metal flecks/dust, and other small manufacturing residue
I typically polish the pins as they go through quality checking and try to buff out or wipe off the residue to make them as clean as possible. The pins that fall under these criteria are best for display purposes.
As a general rule, as long as the flaw does not affect or alter 1. The face, and 2. the overall look of the entire pin greatly, it is considered Class A.
[ CLASS B ]
Since my designs are very detailed, the chances of having flaws are higher than most if past experiences are anything to go by.
Pins that fall under this criteria have more noticeable flaws/imperfections. They have a wider spectrum that sometimes edge very closely to the Class A/Standard criteria or Seconds. While these pins are not as perfect, they're still very much wearable and are typically used for "play" rather than display. Some collectors prefer to buy Class B pins as these flaws give them character; “battle scars”, if you will. These include:
- moderate scratches/nicks/scuffing/marks/gouges on the metal and/or enamel
- noticeable enamel under fill on moderate to wide areas
- no fill/missing enamel
- noticeable enamel discoloration or big areas that have been miscolored
- missing lines on the metal
- burned metal on the front facing side of the pin
- noticeable metal flecks/dust, other manufacturing residue including anti-tarnish oils* that have been faintly wiped off or scrubbed out
*Please note that I do not use oils to clean and polish my pins. These oils are applied to the pin by the manufacturer.
[ CLASS C / SECONDS ]
These pins are the most defective of the batch; wearable if you'd rather just put them in places where wear and tear is high. The severity of their defects can range from any or all of the following:
- multiple or large under fills
- multiple areas with no enamel
- cracked enamel
- deep scratches/marks/gouges on the metal and/or enamel
- large areas with missing/broken metal
- wide areas with discoloration
- large flecks, stains and other manufacturing residue including anti-tarnish oils that cannot be wiped off or scrubbed out
- missing backstamp
These pins are highly flawed, they are generally not sellable anymore. But I've seen some pins that straddle the Class B/Seconds grid line that I will leave up to the buyer to decide if they want it or not. These will be sold at an even reduced price than Class B.
I do not include the back of the pin in my quality checking as they are not usually visible when displaying the pins. Any discoloration/imperfections in that area - unless truly exceptionally glaring - does not bear any weight to how I will classify a pin.
Also, PLEASE NOTE: The type of clasp that comes with these pins are either rubber or metal/butterfly. I may or may not disclose the type of clasp especially for older stocks as these are not technically part of the design and can be changed by the buyer. If you prefer a certain clasp, you have the option to change it on your own.